iNSaNiTY: a Hetalia Fanfic
by heymissy7
Summary: "I do not suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it." - Edgar Allen Poe / Inspired by HetaOni / Cover art isn’t mine
1. chapter one

There was blood. So much blood.

He couldn't move, but he had to. He had to get to Ludwig.

Feliciano stood watching the blood blossom from the wound on his friend's chest.

It was like tomato sauce.

He had to move. Had to help him.

Had to be there.

He watched as Ludwig moved towards him, his limbs not working quite right, face contorted in pain.

"Feliciano..." Ludwig coughed, blood dribbling down his chin. The corners of Felicianos vision became blurred, he was losing consciousness.

No, he had to be there.

The darkness closed in, his legs gave way.

"Feliciano..."

No.

Feliciano sat up so fast, he almost cracked his head against the bottom of the bunk bed.

It was only a dream.

He looked over at the digital clock resting on the floor.

4 am.

Too early to really do anything, but Feliciano couldn't just go back to sleep.

He rolled out of his bottom bunk and pulled on his robe.

It was March 17th, his birthday. Well, he shared it with his older brother Lovino. It was strange, them being born on the same day, yet three years apart. Grandpa made a big deal out of it every year. Careful not to disturb his brother sleeping in the top bunk, he crept out of the room into the connecting bathroom.

He would be turning 20 today.

20 years old and he still slept in a bunk bed.

He flicked the switch on, momentarily dazzled by the sudden light. He turned on the sink and held his hands under the water. The water ran through his fingers and pooled in his palms.

Just like blood.

He shook the thought away, no need to dwell on a nightmare, besides he was 20 years old now.

He wasn't sure what to do now. It was too early to shower, it would wake Lovino up, and Lovino was not a morning person. He exited the bathroom and softly snuck down the stairs into the kitchen.

He went to the cupboard and pulled out a pan and filled it with water. After setting the stove to the right temperature, he placed the water filled pan on the burner. Reaching into the pantry he pulled an unopened box of spaghetti noodles out and proceeded to break the noodles in half and submerge them in the hot water. After waiting several minutes, Feliciano stirred the noodles until they were limp in the boiling water. When he finished sprinkling salt in the pan and letting the noodles soak, he brought it over to the kitchen sink. Grabbing a strainer he poured the contents of the pan into the strainer, making sure all the water and drained out before dumping the noodles on a plate. What else did he need? Right. Tomato sauce. He went to the pantry and pulled out a jar of tomato sauce. He hesitated, studying the jar. The semi liquid sauce was thick and red, it moved when he moved the jar.

Like blood.

It wasn't tomato sauce anymore, it was blood.

Feliciano screamed and dropped the jar. The jar shattered upon hitting the floor, tomato sauce spurting everywhere.

It was on him.

His hands, his face, his feet.

Feliciano dropped to the ground, slipping in the sauce.

Slipping in the blood.

He heard a loud thump upstairs followed by some explicit cursing. Lovino was up, and judging by the thump he had hit his head on the ceiling.

Grandpa and Lovino both skidded into the kitchen at the same time.

"Fratello? What's wrong!?"

"Feliciano? You broke the tomato sauce?"

When Feliciano didn't answer, Lovino knelt next to him.

"Fratello, brother, what is going on?"

"The blood. I'm covered in it." Feliciano whispered.

"Now now, it's ok, you had another bad dream, that's all. Here, let's get you cleaned up." Feliciano let himself be guided out of the kitchen and up the stairs, leaving his confused grandfather to clean up his mess.

Up in the bathroom, Lovino helped his brother get out of his tomato soaked pajamas and started a hot bath.

"Feliciano, what is going on?" Lovino asked as he added lavender to the bath water.

"I had another dream."

"Ahh." Lovino nodded with understanding. "It's ok brother. You're awake now, it was only a dream, and it is tomato sauce, not blood." Feliciano nodded mutely. "Here, your bath is ready." Lovino stood. "Relax, remember today is our birthday." He smiled and left the bathroom.

Feliciano slowly lowered himself into the hot bath water. Only now he realized that Lovino didn't seem angry to be woken so early, and he hadn't called Feliciano any rude names.

Feliciano smiled, closed his eyes, and let the warm bath water wash the blood away.


	2. chapter two

After scrubbing himself clean, and reluctantly pulling himself out of the warm water, Feliciano dried off, wrapped a towel around his waist and left the warm bathroom. The bedroom air was cold against his exposed skin and Feliciano regretted his decision to get out of the bath. On his bed lay a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. The T-shirt was grey, with the colors of the Italian flag, and had "I'm turning 20!" printed on it. Grandpa must've had it made for him. He slipped it on over his head and padded down stairs in his bare feet.

Breakfast was waiting for him when he reached the kitchen. It was not like the breakfast they usually had, which consisted of eggs or pancakes or just plain cereal. In fact, Grandpa had made a lighter and more traditional Italian breakfast. The crostatas and ciambellas decorating the table reminded Feliciano of his home country, Italy.

Grandpa handed him a cup of caffè latte and a plate, breaking through his thoughts of home.

"Ah! Feliciano! You're wearing my shirt!" Grandpa exclaimed. "Look!" He pulled of his apron and proudly displayed a shirt similar to Feliciano's that read: "Proud Grandpa of the Birthday Boys!"

"Wow Grandpa! It's wonderful!" Feliciano said.

"Yeah wonderful... that's that's the word." Lovino's voice had a definite sarcastic edge to it. Feliciano noticed that Lovino had the same shirt with "I'm turning 23!" across the chest.

It was endearing, really, the way Grandpa's eyes had lit up when he saw his grandsons wearing the shirts he made.

Feliciano smiled and sat down, grabbing a slice of the cherry filled crostata and a ciambella. The crostata was a tart-like pastry, that Feliciano found delicious. The ciambella was similar to the American doughnut, all covered in sugar.

They ate in silence for several minutes, until Grandpa cleared his throat.

"So, boys, I've invited your friends over for a party!"

"Oh really?" Feliciano perked up.

He could see his friends. He could see if they were ok.

"... and the bouncy castle should be here by 12, and everyone will arrive around one."

"Grandpa... a bouncy castle?" Lovino scoffed.

The gleam in Grandpa's eyes faded.

"You- you don't want it? You loved bouncing as a boy and-"

"No," Lovino interrupted, "it's great!" he forced a smile.

"Yay! Now you boys get yourselves cleaned up. Lovino, you need a shower, and Feliciano, you need to comb your hair." Grandpa said, shooing the boys up stairs.

In the bathroom, Lovino stripped down and jumped into the shower, while Feliciano wrestled a comb through his red-brown hair. Lovino had dark brown hair, while their youngest brother, Romeo, had redder hair. Both Lovino and Romeo had green eyes, where Feliciano had more amber eyes, like Grandpa.

"Lovino? Do you miss Italy?"

"Of course," the answer came from behind the shower curtain.

They had been born and raised in Italy. Then Mama died.

Grandpa couldn't stand it. He started drinking, wasting all the money for liquor. He lost his job and created a bad reputation, so no one was willing to hire Grandpa or any of the Vargas brothers. They had moved to America when Feliciano was 17. Romeo, only 14 at the time, refused to go with them, and ran away. It broke the entire family's hearts. They left Italy without him, but soon received a letter from a distant relative saying that Romeo was with them. They now talked with him regularly, but still missed him.

"I miss Mama."

"I know Feli, we all do, but today is our birthday. No sad stuff, ok?" Lovino turned the water off, and wrapped a towel around his waist. He stood next to Feliciano, straightening up, in a subtle attempt to look taller.

"No, Lovi, you are still short."

His brother scowled but remained next to him.

Feliciano compared him and his brother in the mirror.

Lovino, despite being three years older, was a good few inches shorter than Feliciano. Both boys had gravity defying curls sticking out from their heads. Lovino's was at the top of his head, and to the left, while Feliciano's was on the right side of his head. Grandpa had a similar curl that stuck out of the back of his head. Feliciano really took after his grandfather.

Grandpa had told Lovino many times that he looked like Mama.

"Go get dressed Lovi." Feliciano hip bumped him, catching Lovino off guard.

"Oh! Vaffanculo, Feliciano." Lovino cursed.

And with that the moment was over, Lovino was back to himself again.


	3. chapter three

One o' clock rolled around, and everything was set for, as Grandpa called it, "The Best Birthday Ever!"

There was a knock on the door.

"Ah! Our first guest! Grandpa rushed to the door. "Ah! Mr. Carriedo! Welcome!"

Lovino immediately turned pink. "He invited Antonio? That cagna."

"Oh hola Lovino! Feliciano." Antonio Carriedo jovially waved to the brothers.

Antonio was from Spain, and had dark hair and sparkling green eyes.

"Why the long face amigo?"

"Nothing..." grumbled Lovino.

"I brought you guys presents!" Antonio placed to brightly wrapped boxes on the gift table.

"Thank you! Er... gracias!" Feliciano piped in before Lovino could say any rude things.

Antonio and Lovino were really the best of friends, only Lovino would call his friends rude names.

"Come on amigo, lets go outside!" Antonio smiled and slung an arm around Lovino's shoulders.

"What the crapola! Get your paws off of me!" Lovino yelped. Antonio simply laughed and the two went to the backyard.

Feliciano sat down to wait for more of his friends to arrive.

Grandpa had retreated to the kitchen to continue whipping up extra snacks.

Suddenly the door burst open.

"Hola amigos! The fiesta has arrived! I'm awesome." A man stood confidently in the doorway. He was albino, with white hair and reddish eyes and spoke with a strong German accent. A small yellow bird sat on his head.

"Gilbert, they're from Italy, not Spain."

A tall, buff man stood behind Gilbert, rolling his blue eyes.

"Sorry Luddy." Gilbert ruffled the man's neat, blond hair, which was weird, seeing as Gilbert was shorter than him by at least an inch or two.

Ludwig caught Gilbert's hand.

"I told you to stop rubbing my head like I'm your pet chicken!" Ludwig gestured to the little yellow bird cowering on Gilbert's head.

"Gilbird is a canary!" Gilbert turned on his heel and stalked out towards the backyard.

Ludwig turned towards a bemused Feliciano.

"Alles gute zum geburtstag, happy birthday." Ludwig placed two presents on the table.

"For both you and your brother, from Gilbert and I."

Feliciano smiled and grabbed one of the larger man's muscular forearms.

"Cmon Ludwig, there's a bouncy castle!"

The rest of the guests soon arrived.

Soon Grandpa called the group in for cake, ice cream, and presents.

The group gathered around the Vargas brothers, who had little party hats placed on their heads.

"Yo! Open my presents first!" Alfred, a handsome young man with blond hair and blue eyes, shoved two colorfully wrapped boxes towards them. Alfred's party hat slipped forward, flattening the odd cowlick-like piece of hair on his head.

Feliciano tentatively reached for his present, tearing into the paper.

Inside the box was a pair of boxers with the American flag on them.

Judging by Lovino's red face, he had received the same thing.

"Ahh.. Alfred.. thanks..."

"What is the meaning of this, you DUMB FANCULO?" Lovino spat, angrily waving the boxers in Alfred's face.

"Ahhhhahahhaa, it's perfect! Aww man..." Alfred gasped, laughing. "I even got a picture of it!"

"SUCK MY CAZZO, DUMB AMERICAN."

Feliciano blushed, "Lovino! Watch your mouth, please." He hoped nobody spoke Italian well enough to translate, though the meaning was still pretty clear.

Alfred had taken off his glasses and was wiping his eyes, while chuckling to himself.

The rest of the gift openings passed uneventfully.

Grandpa brought out the cake and ice cream.

"Blow out the candles Feli!" Grandpa said excitedly.

Feliciano drew in a deep breath and blew out the 20 candles in three breaths.

Everyone clapped politely while Grandpa stuck three more candles in the cake and re lit all of them.

"Your turn Lovi!"

Lovino took a big breath and blew all 23 out.

There was stunned silence until Antonio spoke.

"Well he is a good kisser."

Lovino threw a glob of icing at him.

"Vaffanculo, Antonio."

After cake and ice cream, Alfred pulled Feliciano aside.

"The whole party thing is sweet and the bouncy house was dope, but we got a surprise planned for you and Lovino. It was Arthur's idea." Alfred gestured to a angry, blond male, with bushy eyebrows, who was currently yelling at another blond haired man.

"Here's the address," Alfred handed him a paper. "But remember, it's a surprise. Don't tell your grandfather."

After the crew had left, the brothers started helping Grandpa clean up.

"No, my grandsons, go have fun. I'll clean up, it's your special day." He hugged them, "Thank you for letting me plan the party." The older man smiled, "Ti amo tanto, I love you so much."

"Ti amiamo di più, we love you more." They both said in unison.

"Ciao, Grandpa!" Feliciano waved as they exited the house.

Little did he know, that was the last thing he would say to his beloved grandfather.


End file.
